Legends Wall

[les@donr]

I don't think anyone should be included on the Legends Wall until their playing days are behind them. Perhaps the same for Managers. Just an idea towards the criteria of who to choose. Therefore, the Legends Wall would be a "living" wall to which players and Managers can be added.

[Bristol Red Rover]

As Bob said earlier, criteria is important in this kind of thing, but very hard to pin down. Some criteria apply stronger at different times - eg being an international is less now than it was. Whilst I think achievements of players after they have played for Donny can be significant, especially in players who spent their early days here, I don't see anything in achievements that are before playing here.

Anyone with over 300 total appearances should be in.

Maybe a little more emphasis could go to more recent players like with Macca.

There's a whole bunch of people from earlier who should be included.
John Mitchell - reasons mentioned on his wiki page
Walter Langton - was with us for 18 seasons
Sam Cowan - one of our legends surely
Paddy McConnell - our first international
Len Graham - amount of caps and an international
Charlie Williams - how could he not be!
Colin Douglas - most appearances for Donny

Other ancients to consider:
Billy Longden
Billy Linward
Albert Turner - scored in 6 consecutive games and 5 goals in one game
Bert Tindall
Ken Hardwick
Brian Makepeace
Dennis Peacock

[scaley back rover]

clarrie jordan . As if i am correct is our highest ever goalscorer in a season

[RedJ]

John Ryan without a doubt.

If not for him we wouldn't even be having this discussion as there wouldn't even be a Doncaster Rovers.

[graingrover]

Bert Tindill is another must ( note Tindall was Chelsea ).

[ReadingViking]

They could do it as a time line with 2 or 3 players from every decade - based on stats/reputation for earlier years and then by fans vote for last 5 decades.

[hoolahoop]

As Bob said earlier, criteria is important in this kind of thing, but very hard to pin down. Some criteria apply stronger at different times - eg being an international is less now than it was. Whilst I think achievements of players after they have played for Donny can be significant, especially in players who spent their early days here, I don't see anything in achievements that are before playing here.

Anyone with over 300 total appearances should be in.

Maybe a little more emphasis could go to more recent players like with Macca.

There's a whole bunch of people from earlier who should be included.
John Mitchell - reasons mentioned on his wiki page
Walter Langton - was with us for 18 seasons
Sam Cowan - one of our legends surely
Paddy McConnell - our first international
Len Graham - amount of caps and an international
Charlie Williams - how could he not be!
Colin Douglas - most appearances for Donny

Other ancients to consider:
Billy Longden
Billy Linward
Albert Turner - scored in 6 consecutive games and 5 goals in one game
Bert Tindall
Ken Hardwick
Brian Makepeace
Dennis Peacock

BRR how could you possibly miss 'big' Syd Bycroft of your list ? I hope it was an oversight That man was a legend.

[Bristol Red Rover]

BRR how could you possibly miss 'big' Syd Bycroft of your list ? I hope it was an oversight That man was a legend.

Was mainly adding in ones not already mentioned

Okay, we can kill 3 birds with one stone here, temporarilly at least - the historical recognition of our past, the war commemoration and the individuals.

The idea of doing it by decades sounds good - like a collage of pics (or info if no pics available) on each decade right from the start - 1879-1889, 1890-1899 etc even 1910-1919 which wasn't spectactular playing wise but may include an subtle image of the war in the collage as a commemoration, the same for 1940-1949.

Some decades may have more or less players included. Could also include the various trophies tastefully placed in there including the Midland League and Sheff County Cups of years ago, with team photo's with the cups if we have them. Also, significant managers dropped in, maybe even the occasional director, and I don't know how much influence past directors and benefactors figure.. But, IMO thats maybe inappropriate. JR for sure deserves recognition, but maybe this isn't the palce for that.

1920-1929 may have an image of the original Belle Vue somewhere, or as the background.

All the above gets away from having to be too fussy re inclusion criteria, and it celebrates Donny Rovers not just the individuals. In some places it may be a team photo that figures most prominently.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

From the popularity and posters on this thread I can see a panel forming of interested parties who can put forward players names on an annual basis to be voted in and inducted to the Wall of Fame.

This annual event could provide another means of engaging with fans.

Each player of the past put forward could have a summary of his career and achievements, stats and photos or video's where available, so that one or two per year could be voted in and inducted.

Once you have agreed on the historical ones above, you could come up with some minimum qualification criteria. 

Just a thought!
 

[DonnyBazR0ver]

PS - Just nicking something from Baseball

"According to the current rules, players must have at least 10 years of major league experience to be eligible for induction. In addition, they must be retired for at least 5 years if living, or deceased for at least 6 months. Players meeting these qualifications must pass through a screening committee, and are then voted on"

[wilts rover]

Newspaper headlines work well for the decades story too.

The National Football Museum has this criteria for their Hall of Fame:
To be considered for induction players must be either retired or at least 30 years of age. All inductees must also have played/managed for at least five years in England.

Incidentally having a look through their list I make it 6 inductees with Rovers connections.

[les@donr]

The problem with a timeline is that is could potentially run out of space, given that they line would keep going as long there is a Doncaster Rovers and are still playing at the KM. In say 100 years time that is a further 10 decades how much space will each of that decade get?I would suggest a form of grid system might work in that players are allocated a space randomly and spaces are kept open for future recipients, by showing the continuity of Rovers from past to present to future.

[les@donr]

I have transferred information from another thread to here, as I think it is important to include the details of John Mitchell's playing career at Rovers. Thanks to BRR for finding and posting the information.

Quote from: Bristol Red Rover on June 02, 2013, 01:57:51 pm
Unlikely that we'll be signing him... I wanted to share a little about this unsung majesty of our club from the 1800s.

He was in the first game Rovers played after they named themselves against Rawmarsh in 1879, and likely that he also played in "that" game against the Deaf School. He then went to Newton Heath LYR (ie Manchester United) immediately after we played them. Thats in the Bluff book. I created a wiki page on him after finding out further info that maybe wasn't known about him amongst our historians?

He went on to have a great career with Newton Heath playing 204 games, including winning 4 Manchester Cups. But in the middle of this he had a spell at Bolton Wanderers, playing for them in the first two saturdays of the inaugural season of the Football League in 1888.

As far as I know thats a unique, and highly significant achievement from an ex-Rovers player of that time, never mind one from that first side we had. Also, it seems likely from browsing birth records (though I can't confirm it) that he was a Donny lad too.

[wilts rover]

Les, I believe that the history of the club will be told in a timeline - using montages of photos etc, the legendary players would be a separate section. At least that is how I was imagining it. I would say that every ten years is a good time period to have a redisplay - things start to look a bit tatty by then and you are certainly sick of seeing the same things.